Lochlea gives
a wee nod to Islay with its new winter
seasonal release: Lochlea Ploughing
Edition Second Crop.
 Lochlea
Distillery, a multi-award-winning,
family-owned distillery in Ayrshire, has
unveiled the fourth and final release
from its Second Crop series: the
Ploughing Edition Second Crop.
This special release of Ploughing
Edition Second Crop heralds the winter
season on the farm, when the fields are
meticulously ploughed in preparation for
the upcoming sowing season in the months
ahead. Notably, this expression stands
out as the only Lochlea whisky to date
with a distinctively smoky profile,
achieved through its exclusive
maturation in 100% ex-Islay 200 litre
casks.
Drawing inspiration from this season and
Production Director John Campbell's
heritage from Islay, Ploughing Edition
Second Crop provides John with an
opportunity to share stories of his
homeland and its influence on Lochlea's
whisky character. Additionally, it
serves as a celebration of the winter
beauty found on the farm itself.
John's roots trace back to Islay, where
he spent his formative years. Prior to
joining Lochlea in 2021, he lived and
worked on the Inner Hebridean island,
initially as a lobster fisherman and
later as the esteemed Distillery Manager
of Laphroaig for 27 years. His
transition to Lochlea in 2021 marked his
first experience living and working off
the island and on Scotland's mainland,
all the while continuing his passionate
journey within the whisky industry.
John said: "We are excited to share our
new Ploughing Edition Second Crop that
shows the experimental side of Lochlea
that we are always looking to explore
more. As Islay whiskies are so well
respected and much loved, we wanted to
ensure we tip our hat to this unique
style of whisky carefully and done in
the right way.
“We know people love Islay whiskies -
with Ploughing Edition Second Crop we
want to play on our fruit-forward,
characterful and biscuity Lochlea house
style and give it a special Islay twist
using casks that have spent a
significant amount of time housing and
maturing some of Islay’s finest single
malts."
Lochlea Ploughing Edition Second Crop
has undergone exclusive maturation in
200 litre ex-Islay barrels, which the
distillery says has resulted in a
pronounced earthy, peaty character. In
contrast, the earlier Ploughing Edition
First Crop from 2023 was matured in a
combination of peated quarter casks and
ex-Islay barrels, showcasing a deeper
emphasis on charcoal smoke
characteristics.
For the completionist's amongst you the
four Lochlea seasonal limited editions
are:
- Lochlea Fallow Edition: reflects the
season of autumn on the farm when
the fields are left fallow to rest
after a busy harvest.
- Lochlea Ploughing Edition: released
in winter when the fields are
ploughed in preparation for spring.
- Lochlea Sowing Edition: inspired by
spring when the seed is sown for the
year’s barley crop.
- Lochlea Harvest Edition: inspired by
the annual harvest on the farm.
In addition to its seasonal limited
edition offerings, Lochlea features a
year-round, core whisky expression known
as "Our Barley." This unpeated single
malt undergoes maturation in a blend of
three distinct casks: first-fill
ex-bourbon, Oloroso sherry casks, and
STR barriques, collectively enhancing
the complexity and richness of its
character.
Similar to all of Lochlea's whiskies,
Lochlea Ploughing Edition Second Crop is
non-chill filtered and comes in at a
robust 46% ABV, it has a RRP of £51.50,
and it will be available from the 7th
of March from specialist online whisky
shops such as
The Whisky Exchange
and
Master of Malt
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